The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 327: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE DISPOSAL OF THE CORPSE 293 the footman, after surveying the livid countenance of the murdered man; and he turned his eyes with an expression of mingled amazement and incredulity upon Mrs. Brace, his looks and manner both implying a suspicion that there was something more in this affair than had been communicated to him. ‘“ Come, we have no time to lose,”’ said Mrs. Brace, with a full recurrence of all that nervous trepidation which she had chased away by means of the brandy. ‘‘ The money I have promised you is in the man’s pockets; you can secure it at once,”’ she hastened to observe, for she did not altogether like the looks which Frederick Dray had thrown upon her, and her guilty conscience naturally suggested the idea that he had penetrated the secret of the murder. ‘“‘ Here is the money, safe enough,” said he, after searching the dead man’s pockets; and securing the bank-notes about his own person, he demanded of Mrs. Brace whether she had any settled plan respecting the disposal of the corpse. ‘“ My idea was to bury it beneath the pavement in the back kitchen,’’ responded the milliner. “Capital! ”? ejaculated Dray. ‘It is the best course to adopt, and, singular enough, the dustman left his shovel by accident behind him a few days ago and has never called for it since. Come, lend me a hand with the body, and we will carry him down-stairs as gently as possible.” Thus speaking, the footman raised the corpse up to a sit- ting posture; and, stooping down behind it, he wound his arms about the burly form, while Harriet, who had by this Mrs. Brace threw the cloth once more over the head of her victim; and, carrying the light in her hand, she led the way from the time regained her presence of mind, lifted up the feet. bathroom. Through her bedchamber was the corpse thus borne, and down the stairs was it conveyed as noiselessly as possible. Frederick Dray was a young man of extraordinary strength and muscular power; and he sustained nearly the entire weight of the heavy, inanimate mass of human clay, Harriet merely supporting the feet in the descent. Often did they ~ pause to listen whether any one besides themselves was moving in the house; and sometimes, when the staircase creaked or Frederick unavoidably staggered against the balusters, a mortal terror struck to the hearts of the two (C(O) } iS \